Perspective
by Lady Dudley
Summary: The different perspectives of their colleagues on the relationship between Michael and Jackie. *New Chapters Added*
1. Subtle

**A/N: Well, I have enjoyed having a look at different characters and also looking at how they might percieve the relationship between Michael and Jackie. So I thought I would combine the two for this story. ****The basic idea is that the names of the chapters comes from an aspect of the character that the story focuses on that gives them their own insight into the relationship between Michael and Jackie. **

******This one is loosely based around the episode _Fatal _**_**Inheritance. **_

**Hope you enjoy :)**

**This story is for ****beautywithin22 who also enjoys looking at Michael/Jackie from an "outsiders" perspective :) **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**_Subtle_**

Jack McVitie was a subtle man which was why he was suited to the job of Superintendent. He often needed to use all of his subtlety to smooth over issues at headquarters or with members of the general public who had complaints. The fact that most of those issues or complaints had to do with Jim Taggart was another matter entirely.

Jim was a good cop, but he occasionally lacked the subtlety of his friend.

It was this subtle bent to his character that allowed Jack to notice the subtleties amongst those he worked with. It was how he noticed that Michael and Jackie worked well together on a much deeper level.

He had noticed some of the little things on and off in the past. Simple things like how both could be relied upon to have a vague idea of where the other was at any given time. The way Jackie was never more than two steps behind Michael, always just behind his left shoulder.

However, it wasn't until he started working more closely with them, after ordering Jim to take time off, that he started to notice the more subtle indicators.

At first he was surprised that Jim had never mentioned how they both seemed to be on the same wavelength: often Michael would begin to say something and Jackie would know, almost immediately, what he was going to say. But then, he supposed, that was something that Jim either didn't notice or just thought was normal amongst people who worked together long enough.

What had truly surprised him, however, was when a suspect had started to get agitated and Michael had moved, ever so slightly, in front of Jackie; ready to defend her should it become necessary.

In itself it wasn't something that would normally surprise him, what _had_ surprised him was that Michael hadn't even needed to check where Jackie was. He had just shifted slightly to his left, half shielding her from view.

It had been a subtle move, more like shifting his weight, but enough to alert Jack to the slightly defensive posture that Michael had taken.

It was after that incident that Jack began to watch them more carefully and noticed other subtle indicators of their almost symbiotic relationship: how they could have whole conversations with their eyes. The way they could tell how the other was simply through their body language or the timbre of their voice.

He shook his head as he watched Michael turn to share a smile with Jackie over something that had just occurred. Neither having to check where the other was, just knowing instinctively where to look.

Yes, he was a subtle man but Michael and Jackie took subtle to a whole other level.

----

**A/N: I chose "subtle" for McVitie as he strikes as being the subtle mover in the background, there seems to be more to him than he's given credit for :)**


	2. Honest

**A/N: No specific episode for this one, though it does mention incidents from _Gingerbread_ and _Hellfire_ so it would need to be after those episodes. **

**_Honest_**

Straightforward or honest were two words that people would often use when describing Jim Taggart. Blunt or unsympathetic were also words that people would use to describe him, there were others, of course, but those were the nice ones.

One advantage of this was that people always knew exactly where they stood with Jim, exactly what he thought of them. This also served him well in his job since his straightforward nature meant he could tell when others weren't being straightforward with him, or themselves.

That was how he first realised that Michael was lying to himself.

He'd noticed the younger man's admiration for Jackie Reid from the day the two had met, not that Jim could blame him. Jackie was a good looking girl with sharp wits and dry sense of humour that could even make him smile.

But he'd also noticed how they both seemed determined to ignore the mutual attraction. That it _was_ mutual, he had no doubt whatsoever.

He hadn't needed The Biscuit's side comment about their relationship to tip him off to what was going on. Sure, he may have missed some of the subtleties that he had mentioned, but he had still picked up on enough to give him the big picture.

He'd noticed the slightly tense expression of Jackie's during Michael's abortive love affair with Gemma Normanton whenever the other woman was brought up in conversation. Not to mention the almost murderous expression on Michael's face when Jackie had been introduced as the fiancée of a suspect when she had been undercover.

The latter had caused him no end of amusement, but he liked the younger man too much to tease him over it; besides he had been concerned about Jackie's emotional involvement in the case at the time.

But there had been other signs too: how more often than not Michael would be over by Jackie's desk rather than his own or their friendly banter, often bordering on flirtation.

What Jim couldn't work out, though, was how oblivious they both were. Both seemed to have decided, despite all evidence to the contrary, that they were friends and nothing more. Admirable it may be since it showed their dedication to their jobs, but ultimately pointless as it prevented both of them from moving on.

Sometimes Jim thought they should just date and get it over with, but at other times he realised why they had to pretend, why they had to uphold the lie: both cared about the other too much to ruin what they had. What they couldn't see was that they could have so much more.

Jim watched as Michael stole one of Jackie's biscuits, causing her to swat him playfully. One day they would stop lying to themselves and each other.

He just hoped it would be sooner rather than later.

----

**A/N: So the idea with this one is that they're not being honest with themselves, and Taggart can see it because he's honest/straightforward. (Sorry for explaining this but I feel you deserve to know the reasoning behind my decisions)**


	3. Possessive

**A/N: Again, no specific episode, though it would probably have to be confined to the four episodes that Gibson actually appeared in. **

**_Possessive_**

If Rob Gibson ever had to sum up the relationship between his colleagues he would do so in one word: possessive.

When it came to Jackie, Michael seemed to have some convoluted protective/possessive complex. Gibson was never sure whether Michael truly cared for Jackie or if he just didn't want her to be with anyone else but him.

Not that it didn't go both ways.

Gibson was convinced that neither would ever enter into a relationship with the other, but that didn't stop them from preventing the other from forming a relationship with someone else. Any relationship that they had outside of the one they shared would always be a case of 'three is a crowd.'

He doubted that either would be able to distance themselves enough from the other in order to form a meaningful relationship with someone else.

He sometimes pitied them this possessive side to their relationship that prevented them from moving on. But at other times he considered it to be their own fault. They were both so close; too close in some ways, that they couldn't see passed the other to really notice anyone else.

Some of which could be blamed on the job: they spent so much time together that it was unavoidable that they formed some kind of attachment, but on the other hand it was a little unnatural.

The closeness they shared went far beyond that of colleagues; he doubted that some married couples were as attuned to each other as they were. It meant that they worked well together; their bond allowing them to communicate without words and to respond effectively to situations in perfect unison.

But it made for a lousy personal life.

Their romantic partners either felt threatened by their closeness or the relationship just couldn't compare to what they had together.

Gibson truly hoped that they would eventually resolve whatever was between them: whether that meant they got together or went their separate ways. Otherwise he worried what would happen if they ever were separated before they were ready.

Though, he had to admit, he worried more for Jackie's sake than for Michael's.

----

**A/N: Ok, I don't know if Gibson would actually be "possessive" but I do see him as a darker character than either Stuart or Robbie; also I wanted to explore the opinion of James MacPherson on the relationship between Jackie and Michael - that Michael didn't want Jackie, but he didn't want anyone else to have her. I thought Gibson would be the character to take that angle with. (cf. my story "Green")**


	4. Loyal

**A/N: Again no specific episode. **

**_Loyal_**

Despite the fact that he was a policeman Stuart Fraser could never shake the impression that he was innocent, perhaps even a little naïve. This perceived innocence was based primarily on his loyalty, which people often considered to be blind.

But there was nothing blind about Stuart's loyalties. Innocent he may be but stupid he most certainly was not.

He did form strong attachments and unshakeable loyalties, but he was very careful where he placed those loyalties. Because of this he could appreciate the loyalties of others, particularly those of his colleagues. Whilst he knew that the trust, if not the loyalty, was returned by them both, he also knew that their loyalty to each other was much stronger.

If there was one thing he knew about Jackie it was that she would go to hell and back if Michael asked her too. She was a good cop, but he often felt that her loyalty to the job was primarily personal and based upon her loyalty to Michael.

By the same token he was certain that there was nothing that Michael wouldn't do for Jackie if she needed him too. Both had covered for the other on numerous occasions and Stuart knew that their friendship had been longstanding even before he joined the team.

The unshakeable trust that they had in the other was often something that Stuart envied: Michael would always take Jackie's ideas on board or at least listen to what she had to say; whereas Stuart himself often had to fight to be heard.

He knew that this was because he hadn't quite attained the same level of trust that Jackie enjoyed, but he sometimes wondered whether there was more to it than that. He had seen them interacting in both work and non work related situations and he wondered.

Wondered whether their loyalty was based solely on trust or whether it stemmed from something much deeper. Every so often one would let something slip either by word or gesture that made him wonder just what really stood between them: was it really just a friendship or was it something more?

He looked up as the door to Michael's office opened. Both Jackie and Michael paused in the doorway and Stuart noticed Jackie place a comforting hand on Michael's arm; reaffirming her trust in him and her loyalty, no matter what.

Yes, he acknowledged, his loyalties ran deep but the loyalty that stood between Michael and Jackie made them pale into insignificance.

----

**A/N: Stuart's most fundamental quality, I think, is his loyalty and I think he'd recognise that in others**


	5. Impulsive

**A/N: Again no specific episode, though it would have to be after _Dead Reckoning_ (mind you, it would be anyway since Robbie's in it) :)**

**_Impulsive_**

It was no secret that Robbie Ross was impulsive. He acted on his instincts, which often led him to get into trouble, particularly with Michael.

Sometimes Robbie suspected that Michael had never had a rash impulse in his life, but then he would look at the relationship he had with Jackie and he would think again.

Robbie often found himself at a loss to explain the relationship between his conservative boss and mischievous colleague. He knew that they had been friends for many years and he also knew that if Michael were ever to make a rash decision it would be in regards to Jackie.

He'd heard a story once from Stuart about how Michael had jumped off a cliff in order to save Jackie. An impulsive move if he ever heard one.

He'd also seen firsthand how Michael would manoeuvre himself to be between Jackie and danger. Often, Robbie noted, without even thinking, just acting instinctively.

Not that he could blame him; he felt a certain attraction for Jackie himself and enjoyed the playful banter they often indulged in. But he also noted that her banter with Michael often had a more serious edge to it, tinged by real affection not just play.

It was in those moments that he was a little jealous of Michael, jealous of his easy familiarity with Jackie. Even though he knew their relationship was primarily based on the trust and loyalty that had developed between them over the many years they had known each other.

Because they had worked together for so long their relationship was something that you would expect, but there it was an instinctual nature to it that made it special. Like their relationship was an integral part of the two of them.

Jackie didn't defend Michael because he was her friend, or even her boss, she defended him because it was some innate instinct. Likewise, Michael didn't trust Jackie simply because he had worked with her so long, he trusted her on impulse, simply because she was Jackie.

Robbie had no qualms with coming up with his own conjectures as to why that was. He was enough of a player to see the underlying attraction between them and enough of a gentleman to know that it was sincere.

Their relationship was many things, most them inexplicable; unless you realised that it was so much a part of them that it had become engrained in them both. Similar to an instinct or an impulse that they didn't question, just obeyed.

What Robbie couldn't figure out was why they didn't just follow the impulse to its logical conclusion.

----

**A/N: I see Robbie as probably having the best insight into their relationship, probably because he's more their contemporary than the others were. **


	6. Tenacious

**A/N: I realised I'd forgotten a couple of people so I thought I'd add them as well :) This one would be set from _Death Trap_ onwards.**

**_Tenacious_**

Matt Burke was a bull dog of a man. This was not in the sense of him being a lean, mean, killing machine but rather due to the tenacious bent to his character.

Once he latched onto something he hardly ever let go.

It was this stubborn tenacity that enabled him to solve cases, though it could be off putting to those he interacted with. It was also this stubborn tenacity that made him resent those who displayed a similar determination.

Although he had been grudgingly impressed in that respect by Jackie Reid.

Jackie had been an almost unstoppable force of nature in her crusade to clear the name of Michael Jardine. The fire in her eyes as she stood up to him, stubbornly refusing to believe the worst had surprised him. He was used to people backing down in the face of his own considerable stubborn streak, but Jackie had refused to break.

He supposed that he shouldn't have been surprised.

He had heard the reports about the two of them; known that they had worked together for a very long time. The loyalty amongst Jardine's team had been impressive, but the bond between Michael and Jackie had been extraordinary.

He hadn't put much stock in the whispers around the station about the two of them. He had known they were close of course, but knowing it and seeing it in action had proved to be two completely different things.

Burke had first noticed the latitude that Michael gave Jackie, had noticed also the closeness that they both displayed. Both had seemed entirely open with the other, Burke doubted that there was anything about Michael that Jackie didn't know or vice versa.

There were other things as well, such as the particular lilt to her voice whenever she said his name, a certain light in her eyes when they spoke and an all consuming fire in her manner when she defended him.

He had never seen such stubborn tenacity.

It had almost been like Michael was in her blood; she had known him that well. Somehow her faith in him had given her the strength to stand up to all opposition and to face up to Michael's killer to get the truth.

No doubt about it, Jackie Reid was a tough woman when she wanted to be. But the fire and steel she had shown in her defence of Michael had been something terrible to behold.

He had been working with Jackie for several months now and he hadn't seen her display the like since. True, she could still be stubborn but somehow it lacked the passionate conviction that she had displayed then.

In the past few months he had seen her back down many times, but the only time he had ever seen her break was when Michael died.

----

**A/N: I have this theory that the reason Jackie and Burke didn't get on so well in the beginning is because of her crusade in _Death Trap_ and the latitude that Michael gave Jackie. I reckon Burke thought Jackie took that as her due, so he excluded her a little to make a point (silly man, he didn't realise it was just how things were) :P Plus he probably just didn't understand why she took his death so hard.**


	7. Dedicated

**A/N: Yay! Another character who never gets a story :) I figured if I was going to do this properly I should have Stephen in it (plus I like Stephen, he makes me laugh)**

**_Dedicated_**

Stephen Andrews was a man dedicated to his job. He might greet each new case with some levity but he always took his role very seriously and accorded each victim the respect they were due.

Being so dedicated to his job he had little time for those who didn't display similar commitment. He didn't conduct post mortems for enjoyment; he expected those who read his report to be just as vigilant in their hunt for those responsible.

It had been due to this shared dedication that he had gotten along so well with Jim Taggart, both had respected the ability of the other and worked together to solve the case. He enjoyed a similar working relationship with Michael; he had had a soft spot for the younger man ever since he joined Taggart's team as a DC.

It didn't escape Stephen's analytical mind, however, that Michael's dedication to Jackie ran a close second to his job. Sometimes Stephen wondered if it surpassed it.

Not that Stephen would have considered that a bad thing; the first time he had met Jackie he had noticed her positive influence on the younger man. She made him smile and seemed to be able to exert a calming influence on him that enabled him to relax.

Both things Stephen felt Michael was in need of as he occasionally took things too seriously.

As he had gotten to know Jackie better he had noted that Michael was good for her as well. His faith in her was something that Stephen could see she built upon, what surprised him was how his protectiveness didn't appear to excite any comment.

Many people had observed that Jackie was always two steps behind Michael, like a shadow, and saw it as a sign of the bond they shared and her dedication to him. Whilst Stephen didn't dispute that idea it was often part of his job to see things a little differently, therefore what was significant for him was _Michael_'s position.

To Stephen Jackie wasn't two steps behind Michael; Michael was two steps in front of Jackie.

Not as her leader, or even her superior, but as her protector; entering into situations before she did to keep her safe. For even when they stood, apparently side by side, Stephen noted that Michael was still slightly in front. He never looked entirely comfortable in situations where Jackie was in front of him, exposed as it were.

In a work environment that was predominantly male it was easy to forget that Jackie wasn't just one of the boys and Stephen felt that it was a good thing that someone remembered that she wasn't.

----

**A/N: As he would have known them the longest I think that Stephen would have had his own take on their relationship and seen things in a different light to the others. It didn't really end up having much to do with being dedicated, but nevermind :)**


End file.
